Drapery supporting device



D. R. YEIDEL 1,820,997

DRAPERY SUPPORTING DEVICE Sept; 1 1931.

Filed Sept.- 3. 1929 l atent'ecl Sept. '1, 1 931- DOROTHY ROSE YEIDEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DRAPERY SUPPORTING DEVICE Application filed September 3, '1929. Serial No. 389,896.

This invention relates to means for supporting vertically-banging curtains, drapes, portiercs, etc. which respectively have a vertically-wide or deep multiple-ply hem or 5 heading at the top and extending normally horizontally in its longitudinal direction.

Such draperies may be of material ranging from exceedingly thin and flimsy to quite heavy. Whatever its grade, quality or texture, the drapery as a Whole is invariably supported at and from the heading. The heading is multiple-ply partly from considerations of strength and partly for aesthetic values. especially for ornamental effects. Its depth or vertical width Will vary according to the type or style of the drapery or according to prefereiu-e, and in ordinary'practice will range from about one and one fourth inches to say five inches, While in special constructions it will be considerably Wider. The proper hanging of such ornamental draperies is vitally important to the aesthetic effects sought. The holding elements secured to the fabric should, of course, be con- .cealed from the face of the drape, and this is rendered possible by the multiple-ply formation at the top. It is often deemed essential that the supporting pole or rod at the top of the curtain be concealed, but if that element be of ornamental character. it is frequently leftcxposed, just above the top edge of the curtain, the heading being made to conceal, however, the various rings, hooks, etc. employed in the connection. The

desideratum is to have the curtain appear as if unsupported in space. Inorder to provide the desired effects in that respect as Well as others the top edge, whether the curtain be in folds or hanging in a vertical plane, must be in a straight horizontal line as viewed To obtain that desired straight-line effect at the top the heading must be held expanded or extended in the vertical directions at the places where the drape as a whole is supported from the horizontal pole or rod, and Without special means thereto the heading will sag, slip down, fall over, pucker, and wrinkle badly, and, furthermore, will prevent the folds of the drape It is sometimes designed from'extending in vertically-straight lines to the very top as desired.

Drapery supporting means which hold the heading expanded vertically. have been suggested and used heretofore, but their use has been very limited, considering the vast number of such draperies which are constantly being hung improperly or so as to yield the bad effects pointed out. All of such prior devices, so far as I have been able to ascertain, have required that they be secured permanently in place, as by stitching or sewing them securely upon the rear surface of the heading. This involves muchtime and labor. Furthermore, since the drapery must be cleaned from time to time, additional labor is involved in removing the holding devices and in then sewing them on again. As a result of the inconvenience, labor, time and expense involved in thus removing the devices at cleaning times the curtains are frequently sent to the cleaner with the attachments still remaining thereon. The cleaner does not remove them, but, according to the material employed, Will pass the draperies through a mangle, and the attachments thereupon become bent out of all usable shape. According to other kinds of material the cleaning, and especially the smoothing or ironing cannot be satisfactorily done.

The ermanently-fastened holder has still other 0 jections. Among these I may mention that in'the hanging it is frequently desired to change the location of the numerous individual holders experimentally according to the appearance sought or obtained, such practice being common in the home Where the curtains are oftinies made, or Where, if the draperies be purchased in -made-up form, they are hung by persons who proceed largely through triaLand-error methods. V

In view of the foregoing and other considerations the chief object'of the present intention is to provide a strong and reliable supporting device which may with ease and convenience be readily applied-t0 and removed fromthe curtain, and without injury thereto, and whereby the desired decorative, ornamental or aesthetic effects of such drain a simple-and cheap struction which may results by anyone undertaking such work.

' Fromthese advantages arise such general objects as the saving-of time and money, while afiording to all concerned a degree of satisfaction thus far unknown in this particular branch of the art. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

I am aware that heretofore there have I been suggested various kinds "of devices in as a whole. such was designed,'intended or appropriate I 2o the nature of pins and hooks for ready attachment to and removal from the headings of such draperies for supporting the'drapery So far as I know, however, none for holding the heading expandedat the su'pportingmeans, and-those devices have therefore-failed to rovide the notable sim- PIifiCatiOIIOf practice and-the widespread, and general advantage made possible by these improvements in'the direction pointed out. I a

' In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a drapery showing chiefly its upper hemmed portion or head-' be ing, with the preferred form of the supporting device, shown in side elevation, as normallyapplied thereto i r Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 free of thejcurtain; 4

Fig. 3 is a and" trated in-Figs. 1 and 3 comprises the main.

vertically hanging vbody 8 having a longitudinally horizontalhem at the top consist,- ing of a double thickness 9 and '10 of the material folded one u on the other and then both laid downupon t e body 8 and stitched thereto at 4, thus forminga tubular and mu l tiple-ply heading at the top of the drapery.

This heading is to be understoodas extend- I ing from one vertical edge of the curtain'to the other, .and the desideratumis' to maintain the to edge of the hem or heading in a straight orizontal line. I I Referringjto'Figs. 1 and 2 the'preferred construction consistsof an elongated body consisting of two parts marked 11, 16 on one side and18 on the other, these two body parts being integral with each other at one view similarto Fig. 1 bet show-. ing a modification'ofthe supporting device slightly enlarged portion or eye 17. These body parts are of substantially equal length and the body as a whole is proportioned in length to the vertical width ordepth of the he1nor heading of the drapery. The body is prcferably slightly shorter than the head ing is wide or deep so that no part of the body will project above the heading, yet. being of such length that the bod part 18 may enter the heading substantia ly at one vertical extremity of the heading and emerge there-from substantially at the other vertical extremity thereof. In the particular form of device illustrated the part 18 enters the hollow interior of the heading at the bottom and emerges at the top.- To facilitate this themember 18 is preferably pointed at its normally upper end. I

The body portion marked 11' has an open hook12 at its upperend so arranged that the upper and pointed portion 200i member 18 may readily be engaged by and disengaged from the hook 12.

The member 18 is opposite and closely adjacent to the body member '11, 16 so that when the plies 9 and 10 of the heading are between these body' members they are pressedupon or clamped by the body mem- It; is important that the 'top portion of the heading at the holding device be'maintain'ed against sagging or gravitational movement relative to the body members,

regard I preferably form the upper portion 19 of the member 18 with convolutions "or bends, forming a plurality of humps'as 21 directed toward the body portion 11, mak ing a broken line formation adapted to indent the material of the heading and therebyjpriiduce a greater frictional resistance and toinsure' a strong holding'eflect in this to the downward sagging referred to.

When,the heading is held asin Fig. 1 the relation of the pointed end 20 to the book 12 is such'thatthe part 19 of the body member 18 is drawn tightly into clamping relation with the heading, and to such effect that gra-vitational relative movement of the heading is effectively prevented.

i Inthis connection'it is to be observed that the'eye .17 at thevbottom of the elongated 'bodyjof the device occupies a puncture in the'material, and to such .efi'ect that a largev part ofthe weightwof the curtain body is carried by that eye' 17. Withthe elongated clamping upon the curtain material substantially from end to end of the body and substantially from top to bottom of the heading, and especially with the broken line "formation at 19, and with the positive clamping means at 12 and 20 at the top, the

05 end where thejstructure is provided with a or extended upward against such weight of 'the curtain as is communicatedto the up- 7 device I provide means for pendant attachment to the main support, which means are shown as a hook consisting of the two wires 13 and 14 issuing from the body member 11,

16, twisted together at 15, and then bent upward and' downward hook-fashion as shown. This hook is in the plane of the body, is lateral thereof, and is formed with its opening normally downward. Its free end passes through the eye 17 and the curtain. as a whole is thereby held suspended, and with the heading extending above the curtain rod and the ring 6, and extending .also'above the upper elements 20 and 12 of the holding device.

' Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 the holding device comprises an elongated body consisting of the parts 16 and 18 integral at the eye 17, the part 18 having a free upper end 24 and both parts 16' and 18' being formed on broken lines-to interfit with each other at several places as at 25 and 26. The body members 16' and 18 are formed with a substantial amount of inherent spring tension so that they will clamp the material strongly between them, and especially at the top where the broken line configuration increases the frictional resistance to gravitational movement of the upper part of the heading.

At the top the outer member 16' extends downward at 27 and then upward at 28 and then downward at 29 forming a hook intermediate the ends of the body and adapted to pass through the eye 7. of the main support.

Both of the preferred and modified forms may suitably be made of springy wire such as brass or steel, which wire may be round in cross view or of other forms. In case of the modified structure the inherent springiness of the metal should be somewhat greater than is strictly necessary in the case of the preferred construction where the more positive clamping means, namely the elements 12 and 20, are provided.

The best clamping effects are had when a slight space at 23 (Figs. 2 and 4) is provided between the opposed body members,

- since, if the arms as 18 and 16 or 18 and 16 were close together at the bottom the thickness of the material coming between them would cause the upper ends of the body members to spread apart, whereas the desideratum is to have the main clamping effect upon the curtain atthe upper end p0rtions of the device so as to hold the heading with its top edge in the desired horizontal straight line. The construction illustrated in this regard, namely at 23, is such that when the fabric is between the body members the clamping spring action is brought gradually more and more intoeffect from the bottom upward, which is as it should be for the desired results.

The lower end of the device is such as to occupy no extra space or to interfere in any way with the perfectly straight downward hanging of the body 8 of the drape, and the same is true of the construction as a whole.

A feature in this connection is that when the curtain is suspended as illustrated, since. the eye 7 is to one side of the line of direction of the curtain at the support the tendency would be for the heading to rock or tilt at the eye 7 to the left at the top and to the right at the bottom. The substantially long downwarally-extending part of the body below the intermediate holding means is functional in this respect since the weight of the curtain below the device operates upon the eye or loop 17 to draw that end to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 and into the vertical line of the curtain at that place, so that in actual practice any tilting of the heading in the directions indicated is negligible and is not perceived. 4

Since such headings vary in vertical width the attachment device is similarly varied as to the length of the elongated body so that whatever the particular width of the heading may bethe appropriate attachment is of such length that it will bear the same or approximately the. same relationships to the heading as are shown by Figs. v1 and 3.

It will be noted that in both forms illustrated the inner one of the body members passes through the material of the hem. This constitutes means for holding the attachment device positively at the bottom against lateral movement relative to the curtain. This is a highly important and essential provision, for such curtains are. pulled upon laterally to move them on the supporting rod, and unless the device he so secured as to communicate these lateral strains to places respectively which are constant and fixed the attachment device will become awry and, spoil the previous good effect.

From the foregoing it will be clear that I have thus produced a device which may be appliedstrongly and securely and also removed in a short space of time, and with notable ease, and one whereby many important advantages are had over anything heretofore suggested for accomplishing the dominating objectof producing the. desired ornamental, decorative or aesthetic effects, and one, too, which may be produced at low cost and according to well-known manufacturing practices and thus rendered available for widespread and general use.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements all such changes, departures and variations from what is thus specifical- 1yillustrated and described 'as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: v g

1. A unitary device for attachmentto' the vertically-wide multiple-ply heading nor mally extending horizontally in its longitudinal direction at the top of a verticallyhanging drapery of the character described, said device comprising an elongated body proportioned to the "ertical width of the heading with which it is to be used and having an inner memberand an outer member free end portion whereby it may pa ss within the heading near one vertical extremity thereof and emerge from the heading near the othenverticalextremity thereof, means for readily releasably holding the free end portion of the inner member by an adjacent part of the outer member, the members being adapted to clamp material of the heading between them 'at the upper portion of the device when the free end portion ofthe inner niemberis so held, and means intermediate the ends of the outer member for pendent connection ofthe device with a fixed support. y

2. A unitary .device for attachment to'the vertically-wide multiple-ply heading normally extending horizontally in its" longitudinal direction at the top of a vertically- I hanging drapery of the character described,

said device comprising an elongated body "proportioned to the vertical width of the heading with which it is to be used and 7 having an inner member and an outer memher of wire-like material, said members be ing substantially coextensive with each other bers being. spaced apart at the lower portion of the device to provide freedom of clamping spring action at the upper portion of the device when in normal use.

DOROTHY ROSE YEIDEL.

i ,and also with the headingin the verticaldirection of .theheading, said. members ex tending side byside substantially-from one end of the device to the other end thereof, the inner member being pin-like and having a free end portion whereby it may pass' within the headingnear one vertical extremity thereof and emerge from the heading near the other-verticalwextremity thereof, at least one of said members having a broken line formatigmateits,upper portion and the springiness' of the wire-likematerial being 1 such as to indentthelmaterial of the heading and hold the upper portion of the head:

ing from; substantial sagging, means inter: mediate the ends of the outer member for pendent connection ofthe device with a fixed support, said-inner 'and outer mem- 

